Making Generation Y employees want to stick to their jobs: the roles of individualized consideration transformational leadership, occupational self-efficacy, and personal growth initiative

PurposeBased on the self-determination and affective events theories, the current research examined the mediating role of occupational self-efficacy (OSE) between individualized consideration transformational leadership (ICTL) and affective commitment relationship. Furthermore, this study tests the moderating role of personal growth initiative on the relationship between ICTL and OSE.Design/methodology/approachTo examine the relationship, the authors carried out a time-lagged study spanning over four months for analyzing the indirect effect of ICTL on affective commitment via OSE among 382 Generation Y employees working in Indian IT (information technology) organizations. Results were analyzed using Process macro.FindingsThe study results revealed that OSE significantly mediated the relationship between ICTL and affective commitment. It was also established that the positive relationship between ICTL and OSE was stronger among employees who perceived higher levels of personal growth initiative.Practical implicationsThe findings carry substantial implications for researchers and organizational practitioners. Indeed, the results indicate that human resource management practitioners are required to nurture an ICTL approach for boosting employees' affective commitment levels.Originality/valueThe study proposed a model focusing on the role of ICTL in enhancing employees' OSE and affective commitment. Also, the study contributes to existent research by demonstrating the role of personal growth initiative in understanding the relationship between ICTL and OSE. Moreover, this study provides theoretical and practical implications.